In early attempts to use acetylene as a source of light in lighthouse technology it was found that the gas functioned perfectly but that operation became too expensive. In 1905 the Pilotage Service’s senior engineer John H÷jer drew the attention of AGA’s consulting engineer Gustaf DalÚn to this problem.

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If he could design a light which used little gas and gave the light character, it would be economically feasible to use acetylene. "The light flash can be a short as you like" as H÷jer put it. After months of experimenting Gustaf DalÚn finally could present the flashing apparatus which was installed in one lighthouse after another. The cleverly designed flashing apparatus can divide a liter of acetylene gas into 10,000 small flashes of light. This means that a lot of gas is saved, that one accumulator lasts many times longer than if the lighthouse shines all the time. The flashing apparatus can provide 1 flash, 2 flashes or 3 flashes at precisely the desired intervals, In a 1-flash lighthouse for example you can have light for 0.3 seconds and darkness for 2.7 seconds. Then the flame is only alight for 1/10 of the time for the whole period, which saves a considerable amount of gas. Within a few years the patented flashing apparatus was used in a line of AGA inventions including railway signals.